And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
All Commentaries on Mark 1:13 Go To Mark 1
Bede
AD 735
In Marc., 1, 5: And that no one might doubt, by what spirit he said that Christ was driven into the wilderness, Luke has on purpose premised, that “Jesus being full of the Spirit returned from Jordan, “ and then has added, “and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness;” lest the evil spirit should be thought to have any power over Him, who, being full of the Holy Spirit, departed whither He was willing to go, and did what He was willing to do.
But He retires into the desert that He may teach us that, leaving the allurements of the world, and the company of the wicked, we should in all things obey the Divine commands. He is left alone and tempted by the devil, that He might teach us, “that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution;” whence it follows, “And He was in the wilderness forty days and forty nights, and was tempted of Satan. "But He was tempted forty days and fortynights that He might show us that as long as we live here and serve God, whether prosperity smile upon us, which is meant by the day, or adversity smiteus, which agrees with the figure of night, at all times our adversary is at hand, who ceases not to trouble our way by temptations. For “the forty days and forty nights” imply the whole time of this world, for the globe in which we are serving God is divided into four quarters. There follows, “and He was with the wild beasts.”.
Consider also that Christ dwells among the wild beasts as man, but, as God, uses the ministry of Angels. Thus, when in the solitude of a holy life we bear with unpolluted mind the bestial manners of men, we merit to have the ministry of Angels, by whom, when freed from the body, we shall be transferred to everlasting happiness.
